Tips for digging and shoveling dirt to improve body posturing and reduce pain.
First thing’s first, digging is easiest when the soil is moist.
A sharpened shovel can be very helpful to diminish required forces.
Wear good boots to protect your feet pushing on the shovel.
When digging, throw the dirt to the side of the lowest hand on the shovel. Pivot from your hips to throw the dirt, rather than from your arms alone. If you need to throw the dirt to the opposite side of the low hand, change how you are holding the shovel so that the other hand becomes the low hand. This is extremely important so that you have a base of support, the foot and leg on the side of the low hand , to take your weight and not have your back holding the weight of the shovel!
Often you can have the lower forearm resting on your thigh and the upper hand pushes down on the handle to use the shovel as a fulcrum. This way, rather than actually lifting the dirt up, you are pushing the dirt up.